I’m sure you guys know this already, but food bloggers are extremely intelligent and clever people, especially when it comes to oats! Overnight oats are the best thing since sliced bread! 
Ok, so that was incredibly nerdy to say, but you get the idea! Overnight oats are very easy to throw together the night before you plan to eat them, and simply popping them into the microwave makes the next morning a little less hectic.
Makes 1 serving
How to:
- 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup water (or milk)
- 1/4 cup wheat berries (optional)
Combine all ingredients, cover, and let sit in fridge overnight. In the morning, uncover bowl and stir-in fruit, nuts, canned pumpkin, brown sugar, etc. Cook in the microwave for 2 minutes.* Remove oats from microwave, stir, and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Finally, garnish with additional toppings (granola, chocolate chips, nut butter, etc.), if desired.
* I’ve read on other people’s blogs that they eat their overnight oats cold, which potentially sounds like a delicious breakfast, especially in the summer, but I haven’t tried the cold version yet. Feel free to weigh-in if you have– I’m curious!
After removing my oats from the fridge this morning, I added banana slices and hemp protein powder to the mix before cooking the whole bowl in the microwave for 2 minutes.
When the oats finished cooking, they were soft and chewy, but not much different than regular microwavable oats. I used water this time, so I am wondering if soy milk or hemp milk would make a difference? All I know is that having the oats ready to go straight into the microwave saved me a few minutes this morning!
New Mix-In: Hemp Protein
This morning, I added something a little different to my oats: Hemp Protein. Hemp protein is made from milling raw hemp seeds through a cold temperature processing method.
The Goods:
- High performance plant-based whole food
- Comes in 3 delicious flavors
- 100% certified organic, raw, gluten free and vegan
- Contains all 10 Essential Amino Acids with 45%-50% protein per serving
- A well-balanced ratio of Omega 3 and Omega 6 Essential Fatty Acids, and GLA
- Excellent source of fiber
For some reason, the color of the hemp protein surprised me. The only hemp product that I have ever tried is hemp milk, which is a creamy white shade. The hemp protein powder, however, was a dark green-brown color. In my oats, it looked like little flecks of pepper! I’m not knocking the color– I was just surprised when I opened the package. As far as taste, I only added about a tablespoon of the hemp protein to my oats, so it wasn’t super strong, but a slightly nutty flavor came through. The hemp protein worked excellent in oatmeal, but I think it would also be great in smoothies and baking.
Question of the Day
How does the appearance of food influence your opinion about it? Is there an “ugly” food that you love to eat?
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I love the nutty flavor that hemp protein adds to oatmeal – a little goes a long way. I have had cold over night oats. I mix the oatmeal or oat bran with water then in the AM add yogurt. It is super creamy but there is just something about a bowl of warm goodness that makes my morning. Tuscany looks like an awesome place – the flatbread looks sooooo good and I am not even a fan of prosciutto. Have a great day Tina.
THAT’S THE HEMP PROTEIN THAT I USE EVERYDAY, FOR MY 3 DAILY PROTEIN SHAKES!!
I’ll taste test mine cold to see if it needs more cinnamon etc. but I’ve never eaten the entire bowl cold.
If I’m doing cold oats I mix it with non-fat yogurt the night before though so I guess in that sense I’ve eaten them cold!
I haven’t had it for awhile, but this passion fruit called durian. it stinks, but oh so good once it’s in your mouth. But it’s an acquired taste.
Definitely try overnight oats cold – when I prepare mine, I combine 1/3 cup rolled oats, 1/3 cup water or milk, and ~1/3 cup greek yogurt the night before (the yogurt addition makes the oats extremely creamy!) The next morning, I top the mixture with usual oatmeal toppings. SO GOOD, especially in the warmer months.
I’m intrigued by the Hemp Protein! I’m generally not a fan of protein powders – too artificial tasting, so I’ll have to give this product a try.
I absolutely eat with my eyes before my mouth – and blogging is making me more attuned to food presentation
I love cold oats or muesli, I can’t wait for it to warm up so I can start them again. Here’s my standard bowl of cold oats:
http://johnstonesvinblanc.blogspot.com/2007/05/perfect-breakfast.html
I’ve been using hemp protein powder in my smoothies but hadn’t thought to put it in my oatmeal. How much did you use?
Thanks for the tips on overnight oats. I have to try these. It would definitely help shave a few minutes off the morning routine.
No ugly foods are coming to mind, but I know I judge food by looks before I even taste it. Not good!
I LOVE cold overnight oats—I eat them all the time when it’s warm outside and I sort of forgot about them recently but definitely need to make them again soon!
The perfect overnight oats:
Soak 1/2 c oats, 1/2 c water, 1 T flax, pinch of salt overnight
In the morning add: 3/4 c greek yogurt, banana, cinnamon, and whatever other mix-ins you want.
It is so creamy and delicious and keeps me full all morning!
I am a huge fan of split pea soup, even though it’s not the prettiest!
I just made overnight oats last night! They’re still in the fridge- I haven’t tried ‘em yet.Hmm ugly foods that I love anyway? I’ve made some pumpkin concoctions that don’t look appealing, same thing with eggs. Whoever mentioned split pea soup is so right, too!
One of my favorite foods in bluefish pate; its gray-blue color, however, makes it less-than-pretty! It is SO good, though.
Glad you tried the overnight oats. I always use milk, not water, the milk makes them very creamy. This morning I had overnight oat bran and that was fantastic!
Oh I love cold overnight oats! But it’s def a summer food like when you are craving oats but its gross and humid out. When I make the cold version I only use equal portion liquid like I usually use 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 vanilla soy milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and its delish just give it a quick stir before you eat it and you are good to go. I add the cinnamon and vanilla in the morning.
I think more so then looks its the consistency of food that influences my opinion!
I always get weird looks about the food I eat! The overnight oats look awesome and I like that you use a big bowl, mine always overflow in the microwave!
I was totally weirded out by the color of hemp protein powder, too. I didn’t really care for the taste, either — I ended up giving the container away to a friend! (Someone had gifted me the container . . . travelling hemp protein powder!)
My favorite “ugly” food is definitely my pudding with raw oats and banana in it… delish but looks rather like a dog got sick.
So…hemp protein…does it make you feel “funny”??
I just watched this show “food dectetives” last night and they were talking about the scientific research done on the brain and how the appearance of food sends messages to the brain on what the food is going to taste like and that it actually does effect the taste. Im not to sure about this though, because there are lots of ugly foods that I love! haha
LOVE cold oats (Muesli). It’s delish with chopped apple and fresh berries.
I tried hemp protein once too. It is very earthy tasting and the color shocked me too!
Well this isn’t true anymore but when i was younger I ated white food, cheese, mashed potatoes, mayo, alfredo, etc.
I’ll eat some of it know but cream sauces still creep me out.
Try overnight oats with milk i think it makes a huge difference. I also used 1/2 a cup milk, to 1/2 a cup oats.
I LOVE cold oats but haven’t had em in forever. I like them so much better in the summertime.
I love green smoothies with spinach but sometimes they can be sort of gross looking.
I’ll have to try the overnight oats. For some reason, I thought they were baked. I need to read more blogs (yeah, right).
The appearance of food is important, but smell is even more important to me. If it doesn’t look good, but smells good -I’ll give it a go.
Foods that I love that look gross – buffalo wings! Love them, but they sure don’t look good.
I love cold overnight oats, but only in the summer! I want hot breakfasts during the winter
I don’t think it’s horribly ugly, but my husband tells me my pumpkin oatmeal looks like baby poo.
I love overnight oats. Got the idea from Jenna at Eat, Live, Run! I mix equal part of oats and water the night before and then add no salted added cottage cheese, banana, pumpkin, spices, almond butter… in the morning. SO delish:)
I’ve eaten cold overnight oats soaked in coconut milk and then mixed with yogurt in the morning. The texture was a great, but a little bland. I was hoping for a much stronger coconut flavor.
I tried some of that hemp powder last week, but I think I need to stick to smaller servings. It made my smoothie taste like dirt – a little too earthy for me. I used it in homemade power bars this weekend, and they were good. Well, I’m assuming they were as my husband downed the entire batch before I had a bite.
I’m glad you finally tried it! I actually mush up my banana first and let it soak with the oats the night before. Yum!
I love any food! Ugly, pretty- anything is fine with me
My pond scum colored breakfast smoothies aren’t appealing to they eye, but they taste great.
Cold overnight oats are taste-ey! I used to eat them in the summer all the time
Thanks for the overnight oats tips! I think I am still too lazy to do it at night and carry them onto the subway in the morning so I will stick with instant for now! Maybe one weekend I will try them though!
PRUNES! They are so gross looking, but so delectable (in moderation of course)!
My husband says they look like chewed up tobacco and won’t go near them…more for me!
I add hemp protein to my oats every once in awhile too! YUM!
in the summer, i looooove cold overnight oats! i like to do 1/4 cup steel-cut mixed with 1/2 cup yogurt and a couple tbsp chopped dried fruit in the overnight mix … plus berries and nuts or something for crunch added on top in the morning. guess that’s pretty much muesli. perfect refreshing bfast for hot mornings!
the ugliest thing i like to eat is probably some sort of pumpkin mess … but even with that, there’s always beauty in the ugliness
never tried over night oatmeal…I’ll give it a try although I think I’d prefer stove-oats!
ugly food that I love? the mixing pumpkin with PB!! it looks bad/dirty/ugly, but it taste wonderful!
If it is ugly and I make it…I eat it! It is a lot harder to eat “ugly” food when I don’t prepare it myself.
As far as the overnight oats, I have been doing these for months now. I make them each night and now I just throw everything in and it comes out fabulous. My current mix…
~1/3 cup old fashioned oats, water,vanilla soy milk
~1/3 cup 2% cottage cheese
~1/4 cup pumpkin
~1T ground flax seed
~1T white chocolate peanut butter
sea salt, vanilla, almond extract and cinnamon.
I used to bring the cottage cheese in a seperate container and then add it in. Frankly, I got lazy and just put everything in one container one day a couple of weeks ago. When I get to work I pop it in the micorwave for 3 to 4 minutes and it is delicious and creamy.
As a matter of fact, I have influenced co-workers with my wonderful smelling oatmeal…they are adding peanut butter and bananas…it is a trend!!! Oh and I also got my husband hooked. I make him a bowl every night too.
i’m a delurking reader! i just have to weigh in on the cold overnight oats–they’re my favorite breakfast and i even eat them often in the winter because it’s such a satisfying meal. i cook oats with either an apple or a pear and refrigerate them overnight. in the morning, i stir in greek yogurt and chopped almonds, and usually add honey to sweeten and vanilla/cinnamon to flavor. it seriously keeps me full for like, 6 hours. and during the summer, it’s really refreshing. you should try it!
I’ve never had overnight oats NOT cold. I’ll have to try that although I’m a stovetop oats girl (if I’m a few minutes late to work, oh well
)
I like dal and other Indian food that sometimes looks gross.
**love the oats!** I like to add vanilla soymilk to them to add more sweetness and flavor~~highly recommended! Also, adding the hemp powder to the oats the night before would def spice them up even more!!
my omelets which turn into a big scramble with salsa and a bunch of junk normally look pretty unappealing. but sure are tasty.
Hahah the ugliest food I probably eat is oatmeal, but that’s ok!
i would totally try them col…i love them that way. and i stir in the pb the night before…it’s sooo delicious!
i love cold overnight oats with soy milk or yogurt.
i think hummus looks pretty gross, but i still love it
I have been having the most hideous looking breakfast shakes lately as my buddy gave me some spirulina powder that I mix with protein powder and half a frozen banana- it’s nuclear green! Then as the color is so weird I decide to have a spoon of hemp seed butter (also green) for some healthy fat as I “eat” the shake that I make very thick. It’s gross looking but tastes good. Suppose I could add some spinach if I were thinking of it too, as you really don’t taste it at all.
The only “ugly” food that comes to mind right now is squid. I don’t think it’s that ugly personally, but I know alot of people are not fans of the tentacles. Mmmmm…squidly bits!
Confession: I think oats are terribly ugly! Sometimes I see oatmeal photographed around the blogosphere and I’m like WTF? Why would I want to look at that? Don’t get me wrong, a good bowl of oatmeal can certainly look artful, but it’s not the prettiest food. Never stops me from eating it though
try adding a little more water to the oats and cooking them longer (even half power). i find that that gives me the same texture as stove top. the reason stove top oats are creamier is twofold. one, you’re stirring it more frequently (think risotto!) and two, it has a longer time to fully absorb the water (same reason why an overnight soak is helpful).
as for ugly foods, i make a mushroom chickpea curry dish that’s tomato based that is SO ugly but it’s very tasty. looks a bit like dog puke honestly
haha
I LOVE LOVE LOVE overnight oats!!!
I usually only use 1/2 cup almond milk to soak them, then add more in the morning. Then I micro for 3 minutes, stirring in between minutes.
In the summertime I really enjoy cold overnight oats. Especially with a lot of fresh fruit added.
Oh, cool to see your adventures in overnight oats and hemp protein. I will look forward to trying both. As for ugly foods, I think that any food I like becomes beautiful in some way, just because I look forward to eating it!
I think that cooked eggplant in its glumpy shade of grey is probably the ugliest food I enjoy eating.
I eat lots of oats hot– sometimes made that morning with fresh fruit cooked in, othertimes made in a batch in the slow cooker– but I’ve never really tried them cold. I think I will have to test that out and see how I like it. I do like Muesli, so it seems like I should like cold oats.
I have yet to try overnight oats!
I am not sure I can think of anything ugly that I like to eat.
Have never tried overnight oats, but LOVE my cooked oatmeal everyday! Ugly food that I WILL eat? Hmmm. Not sure.
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